News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-06-16
A MYSTERIOUS SHOT.
The Story told of a Scout In the
Union Army.
from the Detroit Free Press.1

from the Detroit Free Press.1
During Bragg's occupation of Mission
Ridge and Lookout Mountain was
connected with the Army Of the Ten
nessee as a scout, and in seeking to re-
enter the city after a trip lasting four
days I was captured on the Rossville
road, about three miles from SnodgrasS
Hill, around which the battle of Chick
amauga ragged so fercely. The whole
country was full of rebel soldiers, scouts
and bushwhackers, and l was moving
! through the woods with the utmost care,
thinking to get as near to our lines as
| possible before dark, when man In
! butternut clothes suddenly stepped out
| in front of me from behind large tree,
| lifted shot gun to an aim, and called out:
''Stand right thar, or I'll blow the top
of yer head off"
/ was more than a scout--I was a spy
That is, l was in seni-rebel uniform and
within the enemy's line, and any drum
head court martial would sentence me
to death. / was not altogether unpre-
pared for the meeting, having realized
the probability, and as the gun covered
me answered the man in what L tried
to make steady voice.
''If it's all the same to you prefer to
sit down, for I'm clean beat out with
hard work"
l sat down on log and looked up at
him. He was man about 40 years of
age, tall, gaunt and fierce looking, and
from the cut of his clothes / took him to
be member Of some predatory rebel
band which had been called in for the
hi fl.a
lar troops. He might, however, have
been a regular scout, or a bushwhacker
working on his own hook. At this point
we were between the rebel front and the
pickets and outposts, and in a very
thick wood. The time was o'clock i'll
the afternoon.
As L sat down the man lowered his
gun and stood leaning on it for min
ute while he surveyed me. | noticed
that he had been drinking, and was what
is termed ugly drunk. His eyes were
bloodshot, his face covered with scOwls,
and it was plain enough that he was ripe
for murder.
"Who be you?" he demanded in a
gruff voice.
"John Thomas, a scout for General
Bragg. Who are you p
$50 you know Gineral Bragg, eh ?"
Certainly"
$50 do 1 Purity good man, eh 2"
''Yes. Who are you 2"
''None O yer ID bizness I" he ex.
claimed, after regarding me for full
half minute.
''Well, don't care. What are you
doing here in the woods 2"
80 you know Gineral Bragg, ell r.
he queried, coming a little closer.
81 told you I did. I'm going to his
headquarters now"
''Oh, you be? Mebbe you'd be SO
kind as to pint out whar them headquar-
ters be?
81 would if 1 could, but 1 haven't
found 'em yet"
81 thought so And so you know
the Gineral by sight9"
81 do"
"Mebbe you'd be so kind and conde-
scendin' as to describe him to me 2"
He had me there. 1 had never heard
the Generals looks passed upon, and
realized that the chances We're not one
in twenty that could hit him.
"Well, I'm waiting !" growled the
man, after moment.
"Oh, you arel" [ sneered, changing
my tone and demeanor. "Now, then,I
want to know all about you. I've been
thinking you might be a Yankee spy. L
ought to take You back to the lines.
''He he he!" chucl1led the fellow,
as he leered at me. 'Say, Yank, you
amt half smart L knowed you on sight,
and your voice gave you away !"
"Don't 'Yank' me l' Indignantly ex-
claimed. ''You come along to the pick
ct post and I'll find out who you are I"
[ started to rise up, but he lifted his
gun to his face and growled along the
barrel:
you've got iist thirty seconds to live,
and you'd better do some tall pray
ing !"
He meant murder. could see IL Ia
his eyes and read it in his face. Wheth-
er he really took me for n Yankee spy,
or whether he wanted to kill me out of
pure cussedness and for the sake of
plunder, l know not, but he certainly
meant to kill. He had my head covered
with his aim, finger on the trigger, and
was apparently counting off the seconds
allowed me, when he suddenly straight
ened up, dropped his gun, threw up
his arms and fell forward at my feet.
As he was falling, l heard the report of
a gun not far away, and knew the man
had been shot. l sprang up and took
refuge behind large tree, aud though
l waited and watched for half an hour
no one appeared nor could L detect
movement. 1 crept on hands and knees
to the stiffening corpse aul saw that he
had been shot in the back. ! took the
shot back to tree 200 feet away, and
there found foot prints where the shoot
er had stood Who he was, why he had
fired the shot, and which way he went
are matters which 1 have never been
able to solve.